Crab Orchard cruises; Audi runs out of gas
By Alex Webbe
Julio Arellano scored five times as Crab Orchard (2-0) downed Valiente, 10-7, to earn a berth in next Wednesday’s semifinals of the 2010 USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club in Wellington. Crab Orchard and Lechuza Caracas (2-0) will face one another on Saturday, March 13 at noon to decide the semifinal seeding.
Ten-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso scored the first goal of the game as Crab Orchard led the match from start to finish as Cambiaso and company continued its domination of the other teams competing in this year’s Gold Cup.
Arellano converted a penalty goal for Crab Orchard’s second goal of the game before Valiente snuck one through the goal posts on a well-orchestrated play by Magoo Laprida. As the chukker ended, Crab Orchard held on to a narrow 2-1 lead.
“Things have been going well for us all season,†said Arellano. “When you play with Adolfo (Cambiaso), he attracts so much attention from the opposing team that you have extra time to make plays yourself.â€
Arellano converted another penalty shot for a goal and Hilario Ulloa scored a goal from the field in the second period. Nacho Astrada scored on two penalty shots for Valiente but trailed 4-3 as the chukker ended with the high-scoring Crab Orchard attack (18 goals in its last game) being held in relative check by the defensive-minded Valiente team.
It was Arellano who scored two more goals for Crab Orchard in the third while Valiente was held to a single goal from the field from Nacho Astrada, and the first half ended with Crab Orchard ahead, 6-4.
“They’re a very good team,†said Arellano, “and we didn’t take anything for granted. They stayed close enough for us to keep playing our game.â€
Fourth chukker goals from Laprida and Nacho Astrada were countered by single goals from Ulloa and Arellano, and the two-goal lead remained in place with Crab orchard on top, 8-6.
Cambiaso converted a penalty shot for a goal in the fifth and Ulloa scored his third goal of the game while holding Valiente scoreless, and Crab Orchard took a 10-6 lead into the final chukker of the game.
Valiente continued to press its attack as Crab Orchard countered their each and every play. Miserly defense was fortified by well0-placed backhanders and well coordinated teamwork as the seconds continued to run out for Valiente.
A final penalty goal was scored by Nacho Astrada just before the bell sounded and Crab Orchard left the field with a 10-7 victory.
Arellano led the Crab Orchard offense with five goals on the day while Ulloa scored three times and Cambiaso accounted for a pair of goals in the win.
Valiente’s Nacho Astrada scored five goals in the match. Teammate, Magoo Laprida, added two goals in the effort.
LECHUZA CARACAS 7, AUDI 6
In Wednesday morning’s contest Lechuza Caracas (2-0) handed Audi (0-2) its second consecutive loss of the 2010 Gold Cup in a low-scoring 7-6 contest that was tied through much of the game.
Each team managed just a single goal per chukker through the first five chukkers of play. With the game all even at 5-5 going into the final period, Santiago Toccalino scored his third goal of the game to give Lechuza a 6-5 lead. Moments later Facundo Pieres tied it up again for Audi on a penalty shot, and the scoring pattern seemed destined to continue.
An Audi foul in their own goal mouth gave Lechuza a scoring opportunity, and Sapo Caset converted the shot for the go-ahead goal. Audi continued to press the Lechuza defense in an effort to score when a Lechuza player committed a foul. With less than a minute left to play, Audi 10-goaler Facundo Pieres lined up to take the twenty-yard shot at goal and miss-hit the ball. Lechuza knocked the ball into play and ran out the clock for the final 7-6 win.
Audi is scheduled to return to the field on Saturday afternoon in a 3 pm contest.